Medical Edge Newspaper Column

Can Selenium Help Reduce the Risk of Prostate Cancer?

May 2, 2008
Reader:
Selenium is a trace mineral that's essential to good health. But can it help reduce the risk of prostate cancer?

Interest in the selenium and prostate cancer connection spiked in 1996 because of a surprise finding in a skin cancer study. Compared to the men on placebo, male participants taking 200 micrograms (mcg) of selenium daily had 63 percent fewer cases of prostate cancer. Two years later, the rates of prostate cancer remained 49 percent lower than the control group.

Though interesting, the results aren't conclusive and don't address possible risks from selenium supplements. A small study published this year indicated that taking 200 mcg of selenium daily may increase the risk of diabetes by 50 percent.

Selenium is found in foods including nuts, meats, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products and whole grains. Typically, diet alone provides more than the Recommended Dietary Allowance of 55 mcg.

A large National Health Institute study looking at the benefits and risks of selenium supplements is under way and is projected to end in 2013. For now, selenium supplements are not recommended as a preventive measure for prostate cancer.